One Last Time
by WingedWolf
Summary: The Hardys help each other... one last time.


One Last Time  
  
  
  


Matt watched from backstage as Jeff went into the ring. The coin toss was totally unfair, but Jeff didn't seem to mind so much, now that it got him a Number One Contender's match. He and RVD always put on the best matches, anyway. His brother. So wild, untamed, extreme. No one had cared to notice that Matt wasn't like that. He was in Team Extreme, but that attitude wasn't part of him. He tried to pretend it was , but the more he tried, the worse it became. It felt like he was fighting himself for Jeff and Lita's sake. Everyone saw him as the "stiff" one. Oh, Matt Hardy? He needs to loosen up. He's a goody-two-shoes. He's always trying to be perfect. Those were the bad things. Still, he was Jeff Hardy's brother, so they held him up on a pedastal anyway.

They had tried to split up, but the fans hated it. They wanted the brothers, who were totally different in every single way, to stay together. To deal with the fact that they were nothing alike and never would be. Jeff was unpredictable, unruly, and, at times, a little bad. Matt was predictable, obedient, and orderly. Matt was was never bad, except when he turned of Jeff. Turning on Jeff made him bad. And maybe, he liked it that way.

What if I was alright?

What if I wasn't wound so tight?

What if I had the balls to be bad?

Would you still look at me like that?

Would you be mad that I had held the old me back?  
  


The fans didn't like that way. According to them, Matt wasn't allowed to be who he wanted to be. He had to be Jeff's brother, he had to be condescending, he had to be good. Not anymore. He wasn't going to be personified as only Jeff's brother or Lita's boyfriend. He faced the crowd, glaring at them while Jeff lay on the canvas. "This is me." He told them, climbing out of the ring. "Just me."  
  


Why can't I be somebody else?

Somebody who isn't too cool to believe it's okay to be just me  
  


Jeff gritted his teeth as his neck as snapped around. He'd never gotten used to it and nowadays it just happened more often. Why had he worn himself out so early in his career? He'd slowed done some, but by then it was a chore just to keep fighting. The screaming of the fans, knowing that they loved this as much as he did, kept him going. Still, he knew they longed for the old Hardy Boys. Mesh, Michael Hayes, fueding with Edge and Christian. Some didn't want to accept how much had changed. Jeff stood up, and let his bones get ready to take another match. When he stepped out there to do battle, he knew it would take a great toll on his body. And even he wondered just how long he would hold out.  
  


Maybe I was too much

Maybe I'll take it down a notch

Maybe I'll have the guts to go mad

Maybe I'll mess me up real bad

Maybe I'll make you wish you had the old me back  
  


There's a difference between extreme and stupid. Jeff wasn't stupid. Every time he went out there, he knew the fans wanted to see some spectacular flip or feat that would leave them on the edge of their seats. Lately, his body had been too worn, and he could barely deliver what they wanted. He was a high flyer, and flying was all he was allowed to do. In his heart, he knew he would always WANT to fly, but what would happen if one day he just couldn't? Would they ever just let him be how he was? Or would they boo, would they not accept that he was just human, like them? "They'll have to," said Jeff, standing by the curtain. "That's all they're going to get. Me." RVD came out and the match began, but Jeff's mind kept on like his body. "Just me."  
  


Why can't I be somebody else?

Somebody who isn't too cool to believe it's okay to be just me  
  


There was a second. One second of a desire to do what the brothers had always done. Matt stood up in the ring. Hearing the crowd cheer, thinking he was going to do what he always did. Help Jeff. Jeff who was too much in pain to take another assault from RVD. The brothers looked at each other, eyes filled with mixed emotions. This was where Jeff found the strength, and Matt helped him to use it...  
  


What if I can't remember who I'm trying to be?  
  


But Jeff didn't find the strength, and Matt didn't help him. They each listened to the crowd, hearing the justification. Jeff knew that they had done what they each wanted. Matt wanted acceptance of who he was, and Jeff of how he was. It was that simple. They parted, Matt leaving Jeff to get pinned. A silent spark of thanks passed between them. Though it didn't look that way, the brothers had helped each other, one last time.  
  


Why can't I be somebody else?

Somebody who isn't too cool to believe it's okay to be just me

Just me...  
  


Author's Notes: The song I used it called Somebody Else by Bleu. I've been listened to that song for days on the Spiderman soundtrack. I highly recommend it to anyone. Even if you hate Spiderman. (And who hates Spiderman?)


End file.
